Chapter 9: 9 – Mildred Weizel

"Allow me to properly introduce Mildred Weizel. Master enchanter, and capable— will you please get off of me already?!" Kain is having a hard time pushing Mildred away.

I lean over to Loraine. "You know who she is, too?"

"Mildred is actually very well known in Dysentia," she says, nodding. She notes the confusion on my face and continues. "Dysentia is a major continent home to five nations. Scoth, being one of them."

"Huh. So she's a top dog. Maybe on mine and Yui's level."

Mildred is latched onto him like a leech, and has been since she got her arms around him outside. I'm still on edge since she tried to kill us the moment we met, but the way she's acting is giving me reason to believe she's not a threat. As long as we don't look like we're interested in Kain, anyway.

"But it's been so long since I've seen you. Oh, I know! Let me recharge my energy with you on our marital bed." She begins to pull him towards her room. Kain isn't budging an inch because he's wearing a stack of metal.

"I told you, marital matters should be handled more delicately than this!  And I thought you were in Corinth subjugating a dragon?" Kain asks.

Mildred puts her hands on her waist and puffs out her chest. "It's been dealt with."

I clear my throat to get their attention back on me. 

"Pardon me," Mildred grabs her staff. "I seem to have dragged in some dirt."

"Hah? You wanna go, shortstack?"

Our heads bash together as we stare each other down, each weapon brimming with enough power to cause the room to shake. Kain comes between us to push us apart.

"Lady Micchi, please don't pick a fight with everyone you meet! And Mildred, these are my associates who agreed to help us fight the demon lord."

Mildred acquiesces to Kain's pleading and begins rummaging behind the counter. Her workshop looks more like a thrift store for old antiques and knick-knacks. Shelves and bookcases are stuffed with things I'm too dumb to describe— baubles, trinkets, random jewellry. Whatever.

Lars' place was a tightly packed collection of armor and weapons, but Mildred's place could be considered empty by comparison. Most of the items are along the walls, or hanging from the ceiling. The workshop floor is mostly empty. Only a large bronze instrument sits at the center of the workshop. Three round objects, like globes or planets, are connected to each other by thin strands. The entire contraption is encircled by a rotating gear that is seemingly suspended in midair.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Mildred places a hand on the gear. Her hand glows with energy that then seeps into the contraption, bringing it to life. The gear picks up speed, and the orbs inside it glow with different colors. "If you ladies aren't here to steal my precious Kain, I assume he brought you here because you needed enchanting done?"

I put a hand to my face. "That wasn't obvious?"

"I could be gone for two days and suitors will be swarming him like bees. So, who needs something done today?" Mildred asks.

"My clothes," I say.

Mildred inspects my jacket and sarashi. She rears back, giggling. "What are these? Bandages on your chest? You call them clothes… haha!"

"I'll beat you to a pulp…!"

Loraine grabs my fist. "Micchi isn't from around here. Her clothing is more practical than appealing!"

The only person I've told I'm from another world is Loraine. I'm not sure what others would think. Especially Kain and his family now that they've dubbed me some sort of hero. The last thing I want to be treated like is a walking zoo.

"Hmmm. From what I understand, you will want both your cloak and the bandages enchanted? It is an easy matter for someone of my calibre. What will it be? What sort of enchants would you like done? Phys, magic resistance? Both? Temp or perm?" She asks.

My mind draws a blank. "Uh… what?"

"You want me to enchant your clothing, but you don't even know what you want?"

Loraine comes to my help with several suggestions. "How about magic resistance? Micchi is a close quarter combatant. She may be able to deflect spells with her weapon, but her greatest concern will be defending herself from spellslingers."

"Minor physical resistance will keep her outfit from tearing and wearing over time," Kain adds.

"What the fuck? Am I in an RPG?" I clutch my head trying to keep up with the conversation. "Why not just dump all the enchantments on it and be done with it?"

"Tsk, tsk. Your clothing's ability to withstand multiple enchantments depend on its materials. The closest thing I can attribute your cloak and bandages to are cotton and silk— they can only handle at most three enchantments," Mildred explains.

Everything is just coming out as mumbo-jumbo to me. This magic and enchanting jargon makes no sense. Maybe if I was more of a nerd growing up, I'd understand. 

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"You guys just do what you think is best. I'm lost when it comes to this stuff," I tell them.

Mildred levitates a book into her hands and flips it to a random page. 

"The standard magic and physical resistance, it is. I'll throw in something extra as a surprise for the third."

"No funny business." I put a finger right up in her face.

She smirks. "I wouldn't dare. Lucky for you, all of this will be free. Consider it a favor to my dearly beloved."

Loraine leans over to whisper into Mildred's ear. The enchanter's grin widens and she nods.

"Hey. I don't like whispers. What are you guys whispering about?" I ask.

"Nothing." Loraine skips back to my side and grabs my arm.

Kain takes a look into Mildred's book and sighs. "Everything is settled right?"

"Indeed. I'll be needing your clothes," Mildred says to me. She shuts her book and sends it back to the counter.

"Uh."

She raises a brow. "How am I supposed to enchant it without it?"

Mildred heads into the back and brings me another outfit to wear in the meantime. It looks like a tavern dress, long enough to reach my ankles, but my arms and shoulders are bare.

"You've got to be joking," I say.

Loraine's eyes glimmer. "I want to see you in that!"

"No!"

Kain takes their side. "You have to give her your clothes anyway, Lady Micchi."

"No, damn it!"

***

I wore it anyway.

"I can't believe I'm wearing this fucking thing."

The dress looks like something right out of Oktoberfest or a barmaid's costume from Halloween. All I'm missing is a stein of beer and pigtails to complete the look. I feel like an idiot.

"I think you look absolutely adorable!" Loraine can't get enough of it the moment I put it on.

"Don't call me that. Why the fuck does Mildred have something like this anyway?" I ask Kain.

He glances away embarrassed to even answer me.

"By the way," Mildred calls to us from the door as we're leaving. "You will want to register at the Adventurer's Guild."

Kain gasps. "She's right. Since you and Loraine are walking around with enchanted equipment, both of you need to register them into the guild's registry."

"Why does it matter to someone else what I've got?" I ask, scratching my head.

"Safety precautions. We don't want folk to stroll around with powerful gear and cause a ruckus. They will be held accountable for their actions if, say, your club sets an entire city block on fire," he explains.

"Well, shit. You're taking us on a whole tour of the city at this rate."